The End of 2013

Well, I did it!  I met my goal of 150 books, plus two extra!  Huzzah!  Breakdowns and “best of” to follow soon.  Here are the books I finished 2013 with:

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die, by April Henry:  Our narrator comes to on the floor of a cabin, bruised, achey and bleeding and unable to remember anything about who she is and how she got there.  She flees her captors and finds help in Ty, a sympathetic teen.  Together they solve the mysteries of her past and uncover a conspiracy with far greater implications.
This short, mystery novel is pretty much nonstop action from start to finish.  Henry keeps the story moving at a nice, brisk pace.  The chapters are short, and to the point; the writing direct and not overly complicated.   The mystery’s plot is full of twists and turns that fuel the suspense (heightened by the short chapters).  I think a lot of teens will find the length appealing as well as the story concept, and they’ll enjoy it too.
Overall Assessment:
Second Chance Summer, by Morgan Matson: Taylor’s dad is sick, and her family has one last summer to spend with him.  They decide to go to the family cabin they used to spend summers in, but haven’t been to in years.  Being back will force Taylor to confront old boyfriends and friends, who all seem to hate her, all while watching her father become sicker and sicker.
This is a novel that clearly could be an overwhelming tear-jerker, but Matson deftly weaves humor and romance into the story without anything feeling forced.  The result is a beautifully written novel that authentically portrays Taylor’s summer of reconnecting with friends, righting wrongs, growing up and saying goodbye, but ultimately of second chances.
Overall Assessment:

The Night She Disappeared, by April Henry:  This is a fast paced novel about the disappearance of Kayla, a pizza delivery girl.  The novel focuses on Gabie and Drew, Kayla’s coworkers and classmates, as they struggle with their guilt and putting together the pieces.  Interspersed are police interviews, 911 transcripts and newspaper articles that help to break things up and provide further clues while keeping the novel tight.  While the three main characters were fairly well developed, the other characters were pretty generic, and the writing was good and taught, but not great.  But for those who don’t mind, it is a quick (couple hours) easy read.
Overall Assessment:

United We Spy, by Ally Carter: The final installment of the Gallagher Girls series picks up at New Years, right before Cammie and the girls head back for their final semester.   Members of The Circle are still at large and Cammie is still struggling to put all the pieces together.  However, the tables turn and Cammie and Zack find themselves wanted and on the run.  Unable to let their friend run away alone again, Liz, Bex and Macey come along to help Cammie find answers.

The Gallagher Girls are very near and dear to my heart and I love the whole series.  I was not disappointed by it’s conclusion.  Huzzah!  Carter brings all the story lines and characters together, to deliver a satisfying ending.  As usual, Carter’s writing is clear, clever and action packed.  The tone, however, still has the weariness that crept in during Out of Sight, Out of Mind, after Cammie’s summer spent hunting The Circle.  Throughout the series, the characters have grown realistically, the characters flawed, but real and honest.  The heart of the novel and the whole series, is the wonderful friendship.  Liz, Bex, Macey and Cammie trust, care for and back each other without fail, and I totally want to be in their group.
Overall Assessment:

Are You There God?  It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume:  Eleven year old Margaret Simon is moving from the bustle of NYC to the suburbs of New Jersey.  Starting at a new school, she quickly finds a group of girls, Gretchen, Nancy and Janie.  Together Margaret and her friends navigate the sixth grade, a treacherous year that involves first bras, first kisses, spin the bottle and period panic.  Inspired by her teacher’s year long project on any topic, Margaret delves into religion, which has never been a part of her life.  Her father is Jewish, her mother is Christian and was disowned by her parents for marrying a Jewish man.  As a result, her parents decided to keep religion out of the house and not practice any religion.  Margaret attends different churches to learn about what different faiths offer, hoping to find one that calls to her.

I never actually read this pre-teen novel when I was younger, and I really wish I had.  I enjoyed it as an adult, but I’m sure I would have enjoyed it more at the right age.  What I found most impressive, is how well the novel holds up.  There isn’t much that readers today wouldn’t understand.  It’s a delightful, touching, honest look at a tough age where a lot of strange things start happening.  It is a credit to the wonderful writing and story that allow it to hold up and speak to preteen girls, who can be a tough audience to please.
Overall Assessment:

The Bone Season, by Samantha Shannon: In a world where being a just a voyant can get you killed, Paige is the rarest of voyants, a dreamwalker.  She works in the underground, as a member of the Seven Seals, a criminal group of voyants.  When her inevitable arrest arrives, she is taken to a voyant prison in what was once Oxford.  The prison and city are controlled by Rephaim, other worldly creatures that are a powerful type of voyant who use their prisoners as slaves and soldiers.  Paige is sent to live with Warden, who is helping train her to hone her powers.  Despite the risks, she still rebels in her search for a way out and helping her fellow prisoner voyants.

Shannon did an amazing job of world building.  The world of the Scion, voyants and Rephaim is completely and thoroughly imagined and described.  The characters are well drawn, but still maintain their mysteries and secrets.  The complex world and twisting plot line could have been as tangled as my now packed Christmas lights, but Shannon keeps the lines clear, focused and taught.  It is nearly impossible to put down.
Overall Assessment:

Will I Read the Sequel: I want to, but I think I’d have to reread/skim The Bone Season first because of the detail.

Stoker’s Manuscript, by Royce Prouty:  This is an intriguing literary mystery, surrounding Stoker’s famous novel, Dracula.  Joseph is a seller of rare books and document authenticator based in Chicago, and an orphan from Romania, who was rescued from an orphanage and raised in a Catholic Church  He receives a call asking him to act as authenticator, negotiator and potential deliverer of Stoker’s Dracula notes and unpublished chapters.  The buyer, is a wealthy Romanian wishes for total anonymity and using an agent to contact Joseph.  As one would expect, there is more to the buyer and the subsequent task than meets the eye.  What starts as a simple manuscript becomes a printed guide to finding the bride of the ancient creatures.

I picked this out on a whim, and I’m glad I did.  It was an intriguing and well told mystery.  While the story stands alone, and can be read without having read Dracula, I think having that background adds to the enjoyment of Stoker’s Manuscript.  There are scenes that find Joseph in predicaments similar to Jonathan Harker, the protagonist in Dracula.  Well researched details about turn of the century  current events and popular figures as well as Stoker’s career and life lend texture to this historical and literary mystery.  A good pick for those who enjoy Dracula lore or a good twist on an old classic.
Overall Assessment:

The Final Countdown

Twerp, by Mark Goldblatt:  Julian made a mistake, and his English teacher decides to have him write about his life and hopefully, the incident that led to his suspension.  The result is an amusing story of boys growing up in  Queens in the 1960s.  Amusing is about as far as I can go with describing Julian’s tale.  Everything just felt a little bland, characters and storyline.  The only time it really picked up and caught my attention was in the final chapters where he finally reveals “the incident.”  Unfortunately, at that point, I just wanted the book to be done.
Overall Assessment:

Bomb:  This was a fantastic look at the development of the atomic bomb.  The science is accessible, Sheinkin does a fantastic job of breaking down the discoveries and process of creating the bomb.  But even more fantastic are the espionage stories involved with the atomic bomb.  The description of the Norwegians scaling the rock wall, climbing in vents read like something out of a movie and made the book hard to put down.  I agree that all the jumping around made things a little tricky to follow, but certainly not impossible.   The pictures of the major players at each chapter was helpful for keeping everyone straight.  The main problem with this is getting it into kids’ hands.  Once they start though, I think many readers will enjoy this.
Overall Assessment:

The Uncoupling, by Meg Wolitzer: A chill slowly works its way through the women in a small idyllic New Jersey community – a chill that makes women stop wanting to have sex with their husbands.  The story focuses on the Langs, Robby and Dory, a seemingly ideal couple with a teenage daughter, Ella.  The chill, actually a spell, works its way throughout the community, in particular those in the high school, where the Langs teach and their daughter attends.  At the same time, (is it coincidence?) the high school is performing the play Lysistrata, a Greek play where the women decide to stop having sex with the men, until the Peloponnesian War ends.  As the spell spreads to other teachers and students, Wolitzer provides detailed glimpses into their lives as the women are affected by the spell, which in turn affects their husbands, boyfriends, etc.

This was an enjoyable read.  It had the feel of a fairy tale throughout, which the audiobook narrator captured perfectly.  Wolitzer is great with the details and descriptions that make the characters come to life.  My main qualm was the pacing, which had a tendency to drag at times.  The story itself was unique and took an interesting, and amusing look at sex and the power it has in our lives.
Overall Assessment:

Flora and Ulysses, by Kate Dicamillo:  What happens when a squirrel gets sucked into a super-powerful vacuum?  He becomes a superhero squirrel, naturally.  This is what happens to Ulysses the squirrel, who is befriended and protected by Flora Belle Buckman, a self-professed cynic with a love of superheroes.  Flora’s crazy mother, is not crazy about having a squirrel in her house and concocts a nasty scheme involving a bag and a shovel.  She becomes what every superhero needs – an arch nemesis.  The novel is full of eccentric characters, wacky situations, and squirrel poetry.
The narrator for the audiobook did a superb job of capturing the voices, excitement, and silliness of this book.  Unfortunately, she couldn’t save the rest of the book.  The charm and heart that you normally feel from Dicamillo just never fully came through.  The characters felt a little flat (although the reader did a great job of giving them life).  The story, which had so much potential, felt a bit ho-hum.  It felt like an eternity to read, even though it is short, but I just wanted it to be over and done with.
Overall Assessment:

Allegiant, by Veronica Roth:  Tris and Four are back in the conclusion to the Divergent trilogy.  Yay?  Hmm.  Evelyn is trying to control the city and is enforcing a factionless state.  Naturally, those who were always factionless become assholes to the people who still feel tied to their faction (because changing your whole life happens overnight is totally cool, right?).  Four is Evelyn’s second in command, while secretly dating Tris (whom Evelyn hates and tries as a traitor).  Tris wants to follow the message uncovered at the end of Insurgent, and go out into the world.  They escape the city to find the truth about the factions and their societies.  What they find, isn’t the wonderful solution they hoped for, however.
I just couldn’t get excited about this.  The whole time I couldn’t stop thinking about how they didn’t know there was a whole world out there?  They are a very intelligent and learned community, but we never even heard wondering about what was beyond the wall.  Isn’t that something a Dauntless at least would say?  So what were they told about the rest of the world?  That really bugged me throughout, and I needed to know.  Pushing aside these qualms, the book was okay.  It was fun and full of action, but it wasn’t very exciting.  The new characters were fairly stereotypical, and the old characters keep making the same stupid mistakes.  By the end, however, you do see definite growth and change in the characters.  The plot and situations felt similar to the other books, just with a different enemy and in a different place.   Maybe it was me, but I just found the conclusion to be pretty lackluster.
Overall Assessment:

Insignia, by SJ Kinkaid:  Thomas, a 14 year old gamer has been recruited by the military for his gaming skills and killer instinct.  He is outfitted with a brain chip to make him faster and smarter and begins rigorous military training that involves programming, PT and lots of war games.  Throw in some really slimy characters, crazy corporation politics, crazy tech, fighting over the solar system, and some good old fashioned backstabbing and you have yourself a sci-fi action adventure.
Sound familiar?  It does indeed remind of Ender’s Game, but Kinkaid does a good job of building her own world and futuristic vision.  She did an excellent job of creating witty and realistic banter, and fleshing out her main characters.  Most of her bad guys, Karl, Dalton, are pretty stereotypical, but they are so hate-able it’s hard to really fault her for that.  Some of Tom’s and his friends’ actions could be frustratingly stupid, but, they are also 14 years old.  The politics could be a bit confusing at times and some of the tech explanations left me scratching my head, but not so much that it took away from the story. Good pick for boys and sci-fi fans.
Overall Assessment:

I used this one recently, but appropriate in this case.

Will I Read the Sequel? Maybe, but doubtful.  I’m sure I would become absorbed, but I wonder if it would be more of the same.

Reboot, by Amy Tintera:  In a future Texas, a deadly virus has spread that causes teens to reanimate after death.  The more time between death and reanimation means the less human-like the individual.  These “reboots” are made into an army by the corporation that now governs Texas.  Reboot 178 (they are marked by the minutes between death and reboot) is the toughest reboot, but all of that changes when she meets lowly 22.  She begins to feel and experience things she hasn’t in a long time, and finally begins questioning and, ultimately rebelling against the enslavement of the reboots.

Reboot is a unique combo of zombie/dystopia/post-apoc all rolled into one, which means definite readership.  The main characters are well defined and the story moves along nicely.  I think the best part of the novel is the growth and changes that 178 makes; her growth and change never felt forced.  There are some cliches (evil, twisted scientists and corporations), and a few plot issues I wondered about, but again, not enough to take away from the story.
Overall Assessment:

Will I Read the Sequel? Probably not.  The ending is satisfying and stands alone well enough, that I would rather leave off there. Plus, I need less sequels in my life.

Only 5 more books needed to reach my goal of 150 books! Totally doable!

Book Backlog Round Two: Grown Up Reads

I hate to say adult books…..it sounds so dirty!  Anyway, I finally managed to find time to briefly review the adult fiction/non-fiction I’ve been reading.  I still have quite a few more to review and I am working on gathering my thoughts on yoga competition this year.  More to come soon!

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, by Therese Ann Fowler:  This moving novel follows the life of Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, as she goes from southern belle to high New York, European society girl.  The Fitzgerald’s marriage had it’s ups and downs (to put it nicely), and that alone makes for an interesting subject, but adding in the artists, writers, painters and poets with whom they spent their time in France, Italy and New York add so much interest and history to the novel.  While it is fictionalized, the writer clearly did her research and felt a need to share Zelda’s unique voice.  Zelda was spirited, but also intellectual.  She was a writer, painter and ballet dancer in her own right.  I listened to this on audio, and the reader did a wonderful job of capturing Zelda’s Alabama accent as well as the European accents of their friends.  The novel is beautiful, moving and heartbreaking.

Overall Assessment:

Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End, by Manel Loureiro: Zombies!  A strange occurrence in Russia, leads to quarantines, and media blackouts.  Soon, reports of strange illnesses and behaviors filter out from places that have had contact from Russia.  The situation gradually becomes worse and news reports become stranger, scarier, and violent.  Watching and recording this from the safety of his home is our narrator, a young lawyer grieving his wife’s death, accompanied by his faithful feline Lucullus (I love a hero who loves a cat…).  At first he blogs about the situation, but as the world and society deteriorate, he switches to a journal.  He records the events of his inevitable escape from his house and the survivors and horrors he finds afterward.

  I get excited about every zombie book I pick up, and Apocalypse Z did not disappoint.  The book never wants for dull moments, Loureiro jumps right in, sets the stage, introduces thecharacters and gets the action moving.  Granted, there were a lot of factors in our narrator’s life that were really quite convenient for surviving the apocalypse, but I can let that go because I he was well developed as a character.  Originally published in Spanish, this is a translation, but the translation is smooth (the last couple translated books I read were a bit clunky, so it’s always worth noting).  It had action and gore, but without that feel of gore overload.  Most important, it had heart to accompany the strong, brisk moving plot.  This was a really great zombie adventure, a must read for fans of the genre.

Overall Assessment:

Will I Read the Sequel? Absolutely!

Bonus Points for Cat Loyalty!

Night Terrors: Sex, Dating, Puberty and Other Alarming Things, by Ashley Cardiff:  All topics mentioned in the title are very alarming things, and Cardiff handles them with honesty, humor and wit.  She discusses the dreaded, meeting of parents, where, in her case, she found constant judgement and comparison.  Public hair, or lack thereof, meeting creepers in bars, and other entertaining stories and anecdotes I can see being told on a girls night out – with the right girls.  She captures the awkwardness of dating and relationships, and everything else they entail, while offering wit, snark and opinion.  This isn’t a book of rants and stories, Cardiff offers a little more and digs a little deeper, offering insights and thoughts that only come through hindsight and reflection.
Interesting, humorous and thoughtful collection of essays that make for an enjoyable read.  Towards the end I was getting ready for things to wrap up, there was a little bit of tedium and repetition, but not enough to detract from the overall book.

Overall Assessment:

Hark! A Vagrant!, by Kate Beaton:  This graphic novel has been on my list for ages, and after many library checkouts and returns, I finally checked it out and read it.  As usual in cases like this, my first thought was, “Why did I wait so long?”  Hark is fun comic romp through history and literature, along with Beaton’s own characters along for the ride.  The entire book isn’t a continuous story; some stories are spread over multiple pages, others only a strip or two.  However, this still feels like a book, rather than a collection.  It feels full and cohesive, with the added bonus of being able to read a strip, fold some laundry, come back read another couple pages, then load the dishwasher.  Beaton’s illustrations are charming and delightful and the stories are goofy, fun and smart.  Absolutely fantastic.

Overall Assessment:
Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies, by Chris Kluwe: Another essay collection, this time by Chris Kluwe, punter in the NFL.  Kluwe’s essays range from gay rights, to time travel, the Pope and Twitter, the second Amendment, and anything and everything in between.  His essays are funny, articulate and passionate, with some profanity sprinkled in just to keep things entertaining.  Since I agree, for the most part, with his opinions, I found most of his essays entertaining and agreeable.  Those who don’t agree, will, with an open mind, be entertained and hopefully informed, because, Kluwe comes across as well informed and read in topics he is passionate about.  Like Night Terrors, I did wish the book was a little shorter, because the essays did become a bit repetitive after a while, but perhaps it felt that way because I’ve been reading lots of essay books lately.  Also, as others have noted, it is quite refreshing to see a football player in a different and positive light.

Overall Assessment:

End of summer…

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain:  I am an introvert and was intrigued by title and concept of the book.  I’ve never really thought about how my being an introvert affected my experience in school, college, relationships, work, etc.  I’ve thought about how individual components of my personality affect things, and often that contemplation begins when something doesn’t go quite right and I start thinking “Why do I always do XYZ?”  However, looking at my behavior, actions and responses as those of an introvert everything makes sense.  Even though I have always known myself to be an introvert, I never thought about it as an explanation or to rationalize my actions, and so behaviors that I know I like (i.e. staying in on a Friday or Saturday night), aren’t signs of me being antisocial or having something wrong with me – that’s just right for me.
Cain, an introvert herself, discusses how introverts have helped shape society, how they function in the high-power, fast-talking business worlds and how they function and learn in school environments.  All of which is both surprising and unsurprising.  She writes about how some of the most innovative artists and business people alike are introverts, and it’s the desire to work alone, uninterrupted, unhindered, and free from prying or judgmental eyes that can lead to wonderful creations and creativity.  We’ve all been in that college or professional seminar where discussion is dominated by the loudest or most aggressive, and often the most knowledgeable are ignored for being too quiet.  She writes about introverts who adopt and extrovert exterior in order to better fit in, especially those in environments, like business or finance, that seem to demand that persona.  Also important are the learning styles of different personality types.  Most striking to me was a study showing that extroverts seem to work just as well if not better when there is some noise or activity going on while introverts prefer a quiet atmosphere.  Immediately I recalled the kids who always swore to their parents that they worked better with the radio on – maybe they really do!   She examines the traits that each type prefers and how these can change when interacting with many personality types – small talk vs. intimate talk, going to a party vs. dinner with a friend.
There are so many fascinating studies and anecdotes that Cain brings into Quiet.  She never pushes to say one personality type is better than the other, but rather they compliment one another.  Both types are equally important and, when working together, can become quite effective.  This is a really well written and well researched work, that would be useful for educators and leaders to examine as well as anyone looking for insight into their introverted friend or themselves.

The Clash of the Demons, by Joseph Delaney:   Tom’s Mam has come home, only to take him to Greece.  Going with her to Greece are many of the Pendle witches, Alice and another Spook, Bill Arkwright.  She intends to take down the Ordeen and needs the help of anyone who can assist, whether they serve the light or the dark.  Mr. Gregory, firmly against ever using the dark, even for good, must reevaluate his principles for the sake of defeating the Ordeen and weakening The Fiend, who is still at large and after Tom.
Overall Assessment: Another solid installment of the series.  The incorporation of Greek mythology was a lovely added element, as was the return of Tom’s Mam.  The series continues to become a bit darker with each installment, but there is always the strong emphasis on hope and staying strong in defense of the light.
Will I Continue?  Somethings gotta go crazy for me to stop reading them this far in!

The Last Princess, by Galexy Craze:  This was actually my new book group’s first pick – at my suggestion – and it was not a good one.  Eliza is Princess of England in the not so distant future, and there were seventeen days when the Earth went nuts.  After that England has been cut off, people died, crops are hard to grow, former prisoners roam around eating people, food is scarce and of course rebellion grows.  Six years after the 17 days, the King is killed and her family is taken hostage.  Eliza makes some dumb decisions (i.e. enrolling in the rebel army with the intent of killing their leader on the first day, only to chicken out and train with the army for weeks or months, time was hard to grasp…or maybe it felt long).  Then she decides to waltz into the Tower and rescue her siblings, and apparently it’s easy to sneak into the tower.  Then ride to Scotland bareback while on death’s bed.  Then almost die of TETANUS.  Then have a Braveheart moment speech.  All while falling in love, only to (*spoiler alert*) be betrayed….or not?  It was just too much of everything – cliche, plot, storyline, plausibility, etc.  The timing felt like it was going so fast, but in reality I would think things take longer.
Overall Assessment:

Will I Read the Sequel? No.
The Longings of Wayward Girls, by Karen Brown:  This is a quiet novel that examines the lingering effects of of one particular summer.  Sadie is set to pass another summer in her idyllic small town in Connecticut, only it is still shadowed by the disappearance of Laura Loomis a few years prior.  However, a summer prank gone wrong and the lingering sadness and confusion of her mother turn the summer of 1979 into one that Sadie is still reeling from over 20 years later.
Brown’s writing is beautiful and the main characters well drawn, all adding to the mystery of that summer.  Some of the secondary, side characters feel slightly flat, but that’s also how they are in Sadie’s life.  The pacing did drag a bit in parts, but the overall mystery and changing atmosphere are enough to pull you through to the end.
Overall Assessment: Quietly engaging, this would be a nice one to curl up with and knock out on a plane ride (plus it’s in paperback – less weight!).

Lexicon, by Max Berry:  Preface – when I attempted to describe this book to Husband, he told me to stop, because my description wasn’t selling it.  Let’s see if I can to better here….  Imagine a school where students went to learn psychology, sociology, neuroscience and linguistics all to learn the art of persuasion.  Students learn to diagnose a personality end employ the proper persuasion techniques to get what they need.  And imagine there are certain words create a series a misfires in the brain, leaving it totally open to persuasion and being under the control of another.  This is the premise of Lexicon.  Told in dual narratives, we meet Emily, a street rat recruited by the Poets (those who run the persuasion school) and Will, who has been kidnapped by Elliot, a poet, who claims that Will is the key to a destroyed town Will has no memory of.
Obviously, there is a lot going on here, but Berry juggled the complex story lines and intricacies of the Poets marvelously.  The writing and pacing are taught and engaging to the end.  Berry keeps the twists and complexity moving to the end, and just when you think you know who the bad guy is and how things will turn out, you get another surprise.  The only negative, was some of the audio.   The story has two narrators, male and female, which was nice, but the female reader’s Australian accents sounded a bit off, almost Irish at times.  When she wasn’t doing the accents though, she was great and the male reader was spot on the whole time.
Overall Assessment: Fun read for anyone who likes mysterious societies, action books or complex mind games.

Book Challenge Update: I’m falling behind – eep!  I’ve read 109 books so far, but Goodreads is telling me that I am 1%, 2 books, behind schedule.  I’m not worried….

Vacation catch up with Spooks and Sociopaths

Whew, I’ve accumulated a nice little list of finished books to review.  Between home renovations, house guests, recovering from house guests and family vacationing, reviewing was cast aside.  So, here we go!

Wrath of the Bloodeye, by Joseph Delaney: In the fifth installment of The Last Apprentice series, we find Tom Ward being sent away to apprentice under Bill Arkwright a Spook who trained under The Spook, Mr. Gregory.  The Fiend is still at large and hunting Tom, and up north The Fiend uses his own daughter, a water witch to get Tom.  After Bill is attacked, it’s up to Tom, Mr. Gregory  and Alice to find Bill and deal with The Fiend, who has more than a few surprises up his sleeve.  But with the return of Graymalkin we find that she has perhaps a few more surprises.
Overall Assessment: This is another solid adventure in the series.  Meeting a new Spook was refreshing, in that he has a different method than his mentor.  The relationship between Tom and Alice is just as strong in this novel, and Tom is finally forced to decide if he wants to fight the dark Mr. Gregory’s way or with the help of Alice.
Continue with the Series: Absolutely.
My Labels: YA, series, horror

Confessions of a Sociopath, by M.E. Thomas: I picked up Confessions, on a favorable review in Bust magazine, and I have to say I was not disappointed.  The concept alone is intriguing and, initially, slightly disturbing: the thought of a sociopath working right next to me.  The difference in motivation, lack of empathy, conscious manipulation that Thomas discusses becomes, perhaps not acceptable, but more understood.  Thomas rationally outlines and reasons through many of her actions, and while I still may not like it, I can follow it, which is more than I could say before.
After finishing the book, I poked around a bit online about the book to see if I could learn more from her blog, and found out that she went on Dr. Phil to promote the book and he and others apparently thought she wasn’t so much a sociopath but a narcissist.  As a rule, I take what Dr. Phil says with less than a grain of salt, but I did roll that around (I didn’t care enough to watch the interview), and could see some of that, but I’m not a psychiatrist so who knows.  All I can do is take the book for what it claims to be, and bear in mind that as a sociopath, the writer may be manipulating certain things to further her point, which is something non-sociopath could even do.
The bottom line is this: I can run around in mental circles over it or just read it and let it be food for thought.  One thing that surprised me, was that at times I longed to be detached like Thomas.  I can certainly become overly sensitive and impulsive (just ask The Husband!) and being able to stay calm, cool and rational certainly has it’s perks.  That’s not to say I want to be a sociopath, but there are certainly times I would like to stay more rational than emotional.  As a shy introvert, I thought about how I would react and respond in situations outlined in Confessions, and there are times I would respond more appropriately, but there were times I wish I had her lack of fear.  Confessions prompted me to think about my personality and characteristics – good and bad aspects and how to balance them out, to ultimately help myself.
Overall Assessment: Well written and fascinating read, maybe not for everyone, but definitely a good conversation starter.
My Tags: Non-fiction, memoir

The Last Summer of the Camperdowns, by Elizabeth Kelly: This is my surprise find of the summer!  I stumbled across this while browsing, liked the cover and thought, “What the hell, try something you haven’t read a review of or heard of!”  I listened to this one, and while I initially had a hard time getting into it, once it hooked me – it hooked me.  Riddle tells the story of her summer as a twelve year old in 1972 in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, and what tragic events happened that summer to make Harry Devlin hate her so.  Riddle’s parents are eccentric, strong, memorable characters: Camp, an idealistic, outspoken Democrat running for office and Greer, a glamorous former movie star with a cutting wit.  Riddle becomes witness to something she doesn’t initially understand, but when she finally understands the full implications she is terrified into acting.  The events Riddle keeps trying to forget bring back forgotten love triangles, war wounds and dark family secrets.
Elizabeth Kelly’s characters are what truly bring life to the novel.  Everyone shines in their own light, be it bright or dingy, and have an aura and mystique that are hard to forget.  At the heart of these strong characters is Riddle, twelve years old, and caught between parents who want to toughen and glamor her up, but she never feels quite worthy.  Her insecurity and self-pity are overwhelming at times, but, I think it is realistic for her character and age.  The characters lead you through plot twists and turns leading to a tense climax and ending that leaves you thinking for days.
Overall Assessment: I loved it.
Favorite Quote: “Adults have no business being offended.”
My tags: Popular fiction

The Shining Girls, by Lauren Beukes: Creepy is the one word that sums up this horror, time traveling, serial killer book.  Harper Curtis stumbles into an abandoned house in Depression-era Chicago.  The house shows him a web, or constellation of Shining Girls, also living in Chicago, but killed at different times, with tokens from the other Shining Girls adorning the murder scenes.  Kirby Mazrachi was brutally attacked, but miraculously survived.  Along with the reporter who covered her case, she is hunting down the person who attempted to murder her, but all the clues point to an unlikely solution.
Kind of a weird description, I know, but it’s kind of a weird book, in a totally cool way.  Think part Time Travelers Wife (but far less romantic), and part murder mystery.  Watching Kirby sort through the articles and information on her killer, while Harper goes in and out of his house into different eras of Chicago scattering clues throughout time, you swing back and forth in time seeing the parts and waiting for the picture to come together.  The writing moves a bit slow at times, but the tension and the moving elements of the story are enough to stay engrossed to the end.
Overall Assessment: Beukes weaves all the time jumps, characters and elements into a strange, yet compelling, and thoroughly creepy story.
My Tags: Horror, Popular fiction, Mystery

Going Vintage, by Lindsay Leavitt:  Mallory discovers that her boyfriend Jeremy is cheating on her with an online girlfriend.  After dumping him online, she swears off all technology.  Inspired by her grandmother’s junior year of high school goals, she decides that she will make the list her own in her effort to go vintage.  However, finding a steady, doing something dangerous, become pep club secretary (when there isn’t even a pep club!), sewing a homecoming dress and hosting a soiree are more complicated than they seem.
This was a cute, much needed breather from the heavy, darker books I’d been reading.  The characters are a bit cookie cutter, and the story a bit predictable, but still enjoyable.  There were a lot of great scenes where Mallory discovers just how much she (and every other teen!) relies on technology for the most everyday task – driving without a GPS for example, how is it done??  It is also a playful reminder that you don’t really need all the tech stuff you have, and to be aware of just how much information you give and how it can affect others.
Overall Assessment: Cute story and concept, good for an easy beach read.
My Tags: YA, Chick Lit

Morning Glories Vol 4: Truants, by Nick Spencer: Here’s the deal, the Morning Glories are in different places in time trying to figure out how to survive this high school that literally seems like hell.  We meet The Truants, who have a separate mission and were taught by the mysterious Abraham.  Action, mystery, espionage, mystery, murder and mystery.  This volume was supposed to provide some answers, but I still have a lot of questions at the end of season one.
This book is kind of tricky to review, mainly because it is so hard to describe the action in this volume unless you’ve read the other volumes.  Plus, I still don’t fully understand what’s going on.  However, I think part of that may be because there is so much time in between reading each volume and there are details I’ve surely forgotten.   My plan is to sit down at some point, with all 4 in hand read them all consecutively.
Overall Assessment:  A fun series, but probably best to read them all together.
My Tags: graphic novel, series, YA

Coming Up Next: The Snow Child, Twenty Thousand Roads, and If You Find Me.

Keeping it real….sorta

Nothing like home renovations, yoga challenges (post to come soon!), the Summer Reading Program, and vacations to slow down reading and reviewing.  However, I still managed to get through quite a few and on the whole was very happy with all my reading.

Rebel Heart, by Moira Young: In the sequel to Blood Red Road, Saba and Lugh are reunited and are headed west with the rest of their crew.  After receiving a cryptic message from Jack, who has now joined the Tontons and helped destroy the Free Hawks, Saba runs back to save Jack.  Along the way they discover a new regime is leading the Tonton, under the guidance of the Pathfinder.
I’m very torn on reviewing this book.  I listened to it, as I did the first, because I had trouble reading it.  I believe some books are meant to be listened to and this is one of them – the audio is perfect.  The story is action packed with a lot of tension and great characters.  The one person I didn’t like, and became my frustration with the novel was Saba.  She is very headstrong, determined, has a one track mind and follows her heart – traits that served her well in the first book and should translate into her quest of finding Jack, but I don’t think they do.  She hasn’t learned anything about listening to other people and thinking about her actions and how they affect others.  Even while acting on one person’s behalf, she can still be very selfish because she is potentially affecting others by her stupid, impulsive actions.  She’s also very manipulative and careless with her actions and words, leading on those who care about her without thinking about the consequences.  However, I am willing to forgive some of this and credit it to her emotional distress over the losses she suffered in the first book.  I admire her strength and conviction, and think that she still has the potential to grow into a better person in the next book.
Will I Read the Sequel: Yes – the storyline left a great set-up for a really great conclusion.
My label: Series, YA, Post-Apocalypse, strong chicks

The Testing, by Joelle Charbonneau: The central government takes the best and the brightest students to be tested for entrance to the University.  Little is known about The Testing, except that there are those who never return.  Cia was selected for The Testing like her father was upon his graduation.  His memories were wiped after The Testing, but he has terrible and horrifying dreams and flashbacks of his Testing.  Also, once you are selected, there is no backing out.  Hmmmm,  does this sound like anything else you’ve read?
It’s really hard to read this and NOT think of The Hunger Games, which is unfortunate for The Testing.  There is a lot of action, mystery, intrigue, slimy characters, back-stabbing and, of course, fighting to the death.  It is a super-fast read that is hard to put down.  While there are some surprises, there is also a lot of predictability and standard characters, that seem to be staples in this genre.
Bottom Line: Without comparing to the plethora of YA dystopian novels, this is really great.  When you take into account the other ones out there, it can still stand on it’s own two feet, while sharing certain elements and themes that can be a tad repetitive.  If you are a fan of the genre, a must read.
Will I Read the Sequel? I think so, there was enough mystery left that I still want answered. 
My Labels: Dystopian, series, YA, strong chicks

In Darkness, by Nick Lake:  Wow.  I picked this title up mainly because it won the Printz Award, and it was so worthy of the award.  The novel takes place in Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake.  Shorty is trapped in the rubble of a hospital, and, convinced of his imminent death, he tells his heartbreaking story of growing up in the slums of Haiti, and caught in the gangs and violence.  He is also linked to Toussaint L’Ouverture, the man who led the rebellion against the French to free the Haitian slaves.  Shorty’s story is woven in with Toussaint’s, and the two catch glimpses of the life of the other.
The story is beautiful and raw.  Lake’s storytelling and imagery are beautiful and compelling and juxtapose the ugly realities of war, slavery and gang life.  Even more heartbreaking are the callousness that Shorty and other gang members have at such a young age – it’s a fact of life.  Adding to the depth of the novel is the gang portrayal – you still can’t fully hate the gangs though, because they take care of the people of the city in ways that the government and UN can’t or wont.  Most importantly this is still an accessible novel.  While this is (what I consider to be) a more literary novel, this is one that teens can read, understand and follow.
Bottom Line: Thought provoking and beautifully written, this is an important novel for both teens and adults.
My Label: Historical fiction, realistic fiction, YA, award winners

The Dark Monk, by Oliver Potzsch:  In the second novel of the The Hangman’s Daughter series, Jakob, Magdelena and Simon are investigating the death of the parish priest.  They are caught up in a mystery that has them on a trail left by the The Knights Templar.  Local politics, romantic rivals, lover’s quarrels and a gang of robbers add complications to their attempts to track down the clues and solve the mystery.
The Dark Monk is a solidly constructed and developed mystery.  Potzsch maintains a nice pace that keeps the 500 page novel from dragging and feeling like 500 pages.  The characters are delightful and the setting of this Bavarian village of the 1660s is fascinating and makes it stand out from other mysteries.  Not being a big mystery fan, this is one that I eagerly picked up, and relished.
Will I Read the Sequel? Absolutely!  Perhaps for a nice long car ride and flight, the length will make it last and I expect to be fully engrossed.
My Label: Mystery, historical fiction, series
The Doll People, by Ann M. Martin: This is a delightful children’s novel about a 100 year old  doll family, told through the eyes of 8 year old Annabelle doll.  Annabelle doll is quite restless and curious, not only about the outside world, but about what happened to her Auntie Sarah, who disappeared nearly 50 years ago.  The arrival of a new doll family, The Funcrafts, provides Annabelle with a new friend who offers to help her find out what happened to Auntie Sarah.
This is a delightful little story, perfect for anyone who ever had (or has!) that thought in the back of her mind that it could be possible that the dolls are alive.  Also, quite perfect for anyone who wants to enjoy a lovely story about doll adventures.  Admittedly I initially didn’t plan on reading it because after spending countless reading hours on The Babysitter’s Club, I vowed to read no more Ann M. Martin.  At the encouraging of a coworker I did, so if that is your reluctance, fear not.  This is a perfect read aloud at night, and the audio version, read by Lynn Redgrave, is absolutely wonderful.
Will I Read the Sequel? Probably not.  Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the first, I don’t feel compelled to continue.  There was nothing left hanging and it stands well alone just fine.  It’s nice to just leave something nice alone.  Although, I can certainly see kids looking for and enjoying the series.
My Annabelle: My dog is named Annabelle, so I had to share who I couldn’t help but think about!My Labels: Fantasy, children’s, series

Coming up next: Confessions of a Sociopath, Wrath of the Bloodeye, and The Last Summer of the Camperdowns, and Morning Glories Vol. 4: Truants…..

Ghosties, Steampunk, Vampires and Mysteries – oh my!

Behind again because I’ve been loving what I’ve been reading.  84 books done for the year so far….

Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, by Anton DiSclafani: This is a beautiful, engrossing novel about a young girl sent away by her family to a riding camp in the mountains of North Carolina.  Thea, a strong willed 15 year old young woman is set to the Yonahlossee Riding Camp as punishment for her sins as well as her family’s.  Thea grew up only knowing her immediate family and her cousin’s family in a dreamlike childhood of riding and exploring with her twin brother.  The novel explores Thea’s new life at camp while weaving in the events of her past that led to her exile.
This is one of my favorite adult books of the year so far.  The dreamy writing style compliments the beauty of her childhood and makes the events of her exile seem that much harsher.  At times if feels like you are caught in a haze with Thea as everything turns upside down as she moves away from her old life and reacts to her new one .  The inner workings of this all girls school strongly juxtaposes her Florida childhood, adding to the mystery of why she was sent away.  The characters are vivid and flawed, which makes them hard to hate, but hard to like.
Overall Assessment: This is a must read–perfect for one sitting, or, if you’re like me, one you want to drag out finishing because you don’t want it to end.
My Label: adult historical fiction, coming of age fiction

American Vampire Vol. 5, by Scott Snyder: The series picks up in the 1950’s.  We meet up again with Felicia Book, now retired from the VMS but is brought back into the fold to help hunt down a powerful vampire who has been released.  (Hint: his name rhymes with Chocula, but, alas, he does not offer chocolatey goodness).  Pearl is also brought in by the VMS to help hunt down a pack of vampires who have attacked Henry.  Her partner is none other than good ol’ frenemy Skinner Sweet.
At five volumes in, the series continues to pack a great punch.  The action, stories, tension and cliffhangers are well done and drawn out.  The artwork is beautifully drawn and colored. The only negative?  They are taking a short hiatus before commencing on the rest of the series.  I have to wait!  Noooooooooo!
Will I read the Sequel (or next in series)? If I don’t go crazy from waiting.
Confession: I really love Skinner Sweet.
My Label: Graphic novel, vampires, series

Scrivener’s Moon, by Philip Reeve: I finally got my paws on an audio version (started series in audio, must complete in audio!) of Scrivener’s Moon, the conclusion to the Fever Crumb trilogy.  I struggled a bit with placing everyone and everything since it’s been a while since I read the last two.  Scrivener’s Moon did a nice job of tying all the loose ends together from the first and second book.  Fever has returned home to Wavey and Dr. Crumb who are starting work on making London mobile.  Wavey and Fever travel to the north in search of old tech.  The find themselves captured by peoples who do not wish to see London move, based upon the visions of Cluny Morvish.  We also meet up again with Charley Shallow, who has become an apprentice engineer and is scheming to climb higher in the ranks.
Charley and his schemes play a large role in propelling the plot and keeping things moving.  He makes for an interesting character to follow because he still has a smidge of conscious left, but pushes it aside in favor of self preservation.  Fever, still heartbroken from Arlo, tries to loose herself in reason to but has come too far from it in her past adventures to be able to fully follow it.  She falls for Cluny (who has the most wonderful accent in the audio!), which I was initially a little surprised by and didn’t anticipate (mainly because I was hoping Arlo would come back!).  But Fever has always been an androgynous character, so in hindsight it’s not that surprising.  I loved the evolution of their relationship and how perfectly they compliment each other.  Lingering questions about the beginnings of the Scriven race and the downfall of the tech world, aptly named the Screen Age, are answered.  The tension and plot are tight and tie together well.
Ending Note: A satisfying end, that nicely sets up the Mortal Engine series.
Bonus Factor: LGBTQ points!  Fever’s relationship with Cluny is so sweet and they balance one another so well.  I loved how Fever just appreciated everything about Cluny and never stopped to worry about the fact that Cluny was a girl and no one else did either.
My Label: YA, Steampunk, Strong chicks, series

The Madness Underneath, by Maureen Johnson: This was a typical middle novel.  Lots of threads and mystery added, but little resolution.  Rory is recovering from her stabbing in Bristol, where she discovers she has new abilities.  After her therapist encourages her to go back at Wexford, she becomes curious about a recent murder, and begins uncovering more after effects of the Ripper’s death.  She also begins seeing, Jane, a therapist who offers to help her for free.  Let me restate that: On a recommendation (of someone who isn’t really a friend) Rory goes to a stranger’s house, and accepts that this woman provides therapy for free.  SMH.

Whaaaat?

Anyway, Rory’s idiocy aside, there are a lot of after affects that are still being worked out from the first book.  Stephen, Callum and Boo are without a terminus, which puts their jobs in jeopardy.  Having missed school for three weeks leaves Rory way behind in her school work and in no place to take exams.  Which means her position at Wexford is in jeopardy.  Basically, the Madness Underneath is lots of buildup and increasing tension, and then, it ends.  Sigh.
Will I read the sequel? It was all fun and games until it ended, so dammit I have to read the sequel.  Although I do feel a little gypped.  I thought our relationship meant more than leaving me hanging like that.
My Label: ghosts, Ya, series

Mojo, by Tim Tharp: I kept reading early favorable reviews on some of my favorite blogs, and, since I’m not a big mystery person, I thought I’d give it a shot.  Success!
Here’s the Deal: Dylan needs some mojo.  Like Rodney Dangerfield he get’s no respect (wow, I just made that reference).  After finding a dead body in a dumpster, he’s worse off than before after being pushed around by the police and earning the nickname “Body Bag.”  His solution?  Find the missing rich girl, and earn the $100,000 prize money.
Characters: Dylan is assisted in his search by his geeky and weakly mustached friend Randy and his kick-ass BFF Audrey.  Most of the rich kids Dylan meets are a tad cliche, but it still works within the novel.
Vibe:  The vibe of the book was part of what made it so enjoyable.  It has a classic mystery feel and structure with red herrings in all the right places, the pretty girl distraction, the too nice of a guy, threats from a couple sides, etc.  But Tharp makes it work and makes it original.  Dylan is funny and real and anyone can relate to his desire for mojo.
Overall Assessment: Fun mystery pick.
Bonus Factor: LGBTQ points for portraying a lesbian relationship in a non-gimmicky stereotypical way.  Audrey is an open lesbian and begins her first real relationship through the course of the book.  Dylan has to deal with his best friend dating and spending less time with him AND initially having a crush on Audrey’s GF.
My Label: YA, mystery, guy friendly

Coming up next: Rebel Heart, by Moira Young – The Testing, by Joelle Charbonneau – The Dark Monk, by Oliver Pötzsch….

More than Halfway!

I have read 76 books for the year!  Past the halfway mark before June.  Go me!  Visits from Mommy, busy schedule and having too many books that I can’t tear myself away from led to a delay in posting.  But, it was an exciting and eclectic week in books so I’m just gonna dive right in!

Etiquette & Espionage, by Gail Carriger: This was super fun.  I listened to this, and the reader was quite fabulous too!  So here’s the breakdown:
Setting: Victorian England, steampunk style – complete with werewolves and vampires.
The Deal: Sophronia is high spirited, plucky, active and curious, which of course means she must be sent to boarding school to polish up and act more lady like.  She is accepted into a well known finishing school that teaches how to dance, curtsey, serve tea, poison, investigate, and assassinate–without ruining your hair of course.  Upon arriving at the academy a mysterious prototype is missing and Sophronia can’t help investigating…
Names: I had to give a category to the names, because they are awesome.  Ms. Barnaclegoose, Lord Dingleproops and a mcanimal dog named Bumbersnoot are a few of the great names.
Overall Assessment: I loved the writing and tongue-in-cheek tone of the book.  It was fun without taking itself too seriously.
Will I Read the Sequel: Yes!
Quote: “‘What’s wrong with liking girly things? I like petticoats and dancing and perfume and hats and brooches and necklaces and–‘ Her eyes glazed over slightly as she contemplated sparkles.”  This is of course, the fabulous BFF, Dimity.

Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls, by David Sedaris: Another solid collection from David Sedaris.  His quirky and funny essays range from colonoscopies, family life and language learning on the fly.  My favorite essay involves Sedaris learning that it is apparent he has a weakness for strange and disturbing items….mostly because I feel the same way.  He also has some short fiction interspersed, taking on different voices and topics.  These were okay, I think if there had been many more of them it would have been too much.
Overall Assessment:  Sedaris’ sardonic essays are great and make for a quick, fun read.  This is a good summer pick because the essay form allows for you to sneak in a quick essay and then pick it up later without having to remember any plot.  It can easily be read in a sitting or two as well.

Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong, by Prudence Shen, illus. Faith Erin Hicks: Funding is tight and the robotics team needs money to go to competition and the cheerleaders need uniforms — let the battle begin.  Nate, Robotics Club President and Charlie, Captain of the Basketball team are unlikely friends and unlikely opponents to Student Body President.  Charlie is being forced to run by the cheerleaders so they can get the money and Nate is hoping to secure funding for Robotics.  What follows are dirty campaigns, a robot death match, a stolen car as the Robotics Team and Cheerleaders strive to come out on top, dragging poor Charlie along for the ride.  Nothing can possibly go wrong, right? (Sorry, I couldn’t help but work that in — it fits so perfect!)
Illustrations: It’s Faith Erin Hicks so of course the drawings and illustrations are fantastic.  She has also done the wonderful Friends with Boys, and the delightful War at Ellsmere, among others.  LOVE.  Nothing can look wrong when she’s at the table.
Overall Assessment: Great pick for readers of all levels and interests.  Appeal for boys and girls,readers who are a sensitive to violence or sex and readers at many levels.  Must have for libraries and a must read!  Plus, robot death match!

The Unseen Guest, by Maryrose Wood:  In the third installment of the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series we meet Lord Fredrick’s mother and her potential fiance, Admiral Faucet — who has lost his ostrich.  Who better to track the ostrich into the woods than three children who know the woods, have excellent noses and tracking skills and can imitate the call of nearly any animal in the woods?  In this delightful and funny adventure we learn more about how the children survived in the woods and their origins as well as some family history about Lord Fredrick.  The story wraps up nicely, but still leaves enough unanswered questions to leave me hanging for the fourth installment!  I have listened to all of these on audiobook, and again, the narrator delivered fabulously.
Overall Assessment: I adore the adventures of the Incorrigibles and the third didn’t let me down.  There was plenty of howling and Poe (and P.O.E.s!) to keep things thoroughly amusing.

The Fifth Wave, by Rick Yancey: This is the book that kept me from writing my book reviews because I could not put this down!  Let’s break it down:
The Deal:  Aliens have arrived.  Instead of making friends they send out attacks on humans in waves.  After the fourth wave, no one knows who to trust – who is human and who isn’t.  There are a lot of mind games going on, which is super intense.  Add a cute boy and close quarters into the mix and the mind if blown.  OH SNAP!
Chick Check: Cassie is a bad ass female lead.  She loves her M16 and can kick butt and take names.  She took karate in the before so she has always been her own gal.  Nice.
Overall Assessment: Yancey delivers an awesome and inventive alien tale.  I love a book where you don’t know who the bad guys are, and it becomes a mental struggle as well as physical.  My once complaint is that I had a hard time following the actual time in the book – I would wonder how long they were in places and the like (maybe I just missed it?).  Otherwise though solid kick-butt book.
Last Thoughts? Alien apocalypse!
Will I Read the Sequel? Hello?! Alien apocalypse! Hells yeah!

Coming next review….The Elite, by Keera Cass!

Reading Round-Up

Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, by Mary Roach:  I’m a big fan of her work and she didn’t disappoint.  I share her 12-year-old boy interest in the squeamish and the bizarre things about the human body.  Starting with the sense of smell and taste, Roach investigates her way down through the stomach and concludes with, well, how all things ingested conclude.  Along the way she addresses important points including, the crunch factor, important elements of spit, Elvis’s constipation, and chewing theory.  All of which was fascinating and funny.  Included, of course, is a Bristol Stool Scale for your viewing pleasure and contemplation.
Overall Assessment: If you like reading about crazy cool shit (pun intended) your body can do, and aren’t too squeamish its a fun ride.

The Selection, by Kiera Cass:  I read this based upon several friends’ recommendations, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.   Here’s the rundown:  our prince needs a wife (doesn’t he always?) To keep the masses happy, he will marry one of “the people” so the eligible women enter their names into a selection.  Thirty-five bachelorettes are selected and only one can marry his highness.  ……Yeah, I know.  In my mind, this is The Hunger Games with dating rather than death (although Katniss jumping out and shooting girls with her arrows would have been awesome.).  In fact, upon reading the synopsis I felt a bit like Lucille.

There was actually a lot more of that during the first few chapters and the first 10 times America Singer (yeah, that’s her name and I still roll my eyes over her name) continued saying “Why do I have to change myself?”, “Why can’t I stay me?”, or “I’m not changing anything about myself.”  Okay, message received: individualism good.  As the story progressed America became slightly less annoying, the love triangle developed (oh yeah!) and the story became more flushed out,  there were some great twists and turns and I actually started to like the characters.  The characters and plot felt really flat generic at the beginning, but by the end Cass had everything nicely developed.  By the last third of the book I was hooked.
Overall Assessment: Girly and fun  
Lacking? I needed a little more cattiness.  Seriously there wasn’t as much cattiness as there should have been when you have 35 girls competing for one guy. For Reals.
Will I Read the Sequel? Already on hold!

Maggot Moon, by Sally Gardner: In a marketplace flooded with dystopian books, it is difficult to find one that stands out in terms of  literary quality and originality and Gardner succeeded on both counts.  The setting reminds me of an alternate universe version of Soviet Russia.  Standish Treadwell has different colored eyes, can’t read or write, but is remarkably perceptive, smart and observant.  Standish’s only friend has disappeared after going over the wall and discovering the Motherland’s secret.  The story is told in 100 very short chapters with accompanying illustrations that move along with the story.  Maggot Moon is both disturbing and haunting, and beautifully told.  My fear, as with many books like this, is that it wont have the teen pull of the popular quick, easy dystopian books out there.  However, for those smart, curious and challenge-seeking teen readers who like 1984 and Brave New World, Maggot Moon is a definite for them.
Overall: Wow.

The Runaway King, by Jennifer Nielson: Oh snap, talk about drama! (BTW, I really want to bring “Oh snap” back…but was it ever really in? Whatever.)  So Jaron is now King of Cathya, but nothing is falling into line or place.  After attack during his family’s funeral, Jaron learns of new threats that, of course, no one believes, and on top of that, his Captain of the Guard wants to instil a Steward until Jaron comes of age.  Whew.  Of course adventures ensue, and Jaron makes poor decisions accompanied by witty one-liners.  He acquires a cute side-kick and the love triangle deepens.  Lingering mysteries from the first book were wrapped up and ground work for the final installment was laid.  While parts of the story line-up and fall together a little too neatly at times, Nielson still writes a fun, exciting and captivating adventure.  Again, I did the audiobook, which was fabulous.  In fact, I logged another 6 miles on this one!
Overall Assessment: OH SNAP!  (Seriously, I kept saying that at the close of every other chapter or whenever craziness went down.)                                     
Will I Read the Sequel: Absolutely

Six-Gun Snow White, by Catherynne M. Valente:  I can’t remember where I heard about this little gem, but I’m glad I did.  This is a re-telling of Snow White, set as a Western. Snow White is half-Crow/half-white daughter of a rich silver baron who forced her mother to leave the Crow nation and marry him.  After her mother dies in childbirth, Mr. H remarries a cruel woman who gives Snow White her name, in reference to the white skin she will never have.  Snow White runs away, works in the mines, lives with outlaws, but can never fully escape the reach of Mrs. H and her strange mirror.  Snow White is tough and raw and exudes a grittiness that makes her a fantastic heroine.  The book is fairly short (about 170 pages) and moves at a brisk pace.  The main problem I had was with some of the writing – I would find myself getting and would have to back up a bit and reread to fully understand what was going on.  The real pull and magic is Valente’s incorporation of Native American folklore and Western elements into the classic fairy tale.
Overall Assessment: Great pick for something completely different, and for anyone who wants to see a kick-ass Snow White.                                  
Accessory Report: Snow White carries a badass gun with inlaid pearls and rubies.  Nice.

Challenge Stats: 71 books read, 47% completion — 4 books ahead of schedule!